Brigadier General Michele Compton, commander of the 9th Mission Support Command out of Honolulu, HI, stands next to Malaysian Major General Dato' Razali Hj Ahmad, the general officer commanding of the 3rd Infantry Division out of Trendak Camp, Malacca, as he salutes during the opening ceremonies for the Keris Strike 12 exercise at Camp Ulu Tiram, near Bahru, Malaysia, Sept. 18. Photo by Spc. Lisa Laughlin, 122nd Public Affairs Operations Center, Washington Army National Guard.

Keris Strike 12 is a regularly scheduled, multinational exercise sponsored by the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and hosted annually by the Malaysian Armed Forces. Keris Strike 12 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises designed to promote regional peace and security. This exercise marks the sixteenth anniversary of this regionally significant training event.

Brigadier General Michele Compton, commander of the 9th Mission Support Command and the exercise co-director for Keris Strike 12, said the exercise includes National Guard members from across the U.S. and fosters a strong military relationship between the U.S. and Malaysian Armed Forces in reference to peace support operations.

"Over the next two weeks," said Compton, "we will be doing a host of activities to include a command post exercise which is both at the brigade and battalion level. We are also going to be conducting a medical first responder course to help train the trainer to continue to increase the level of trust and cooperation. We will also conduct a medical civic actions project where our medical folks will work together in reference to helping our medical teams cross-share information."

Compton said while this is the second year for the civic action project, this is the first year the Keris Strike exercise will include a course for countering improvised explosive devices (C-IED).

Malaysian Major General Dato' Razali Hj Ahmad, the general officer commanding of the 3rd Infantry Division based in Trendak Camp, Malacca, and the exercise co-director for Keris Strike 12, said the additions to the exercise is representative of the growing friendship between the United States and Malaysia.

"It is like building a wall," said Razali. "We are going slowly. We are going to lay bricks by bricks, so that in time the wall will not collapse. We are going very slow, but most of the time when we conduct (an) exercise the aim is to strengthen the relationship. So, if you look at the wall, we are putting bricks by bricks, this time two bricks we put in, the MEDCAP, later on another two bricks, and so on we will complete a wall. And you can test us, it will not collapse."

Malaysian Major General Dato' Razali Hj Ahmad, the general officer commanding of the 3rd Infantry Division out of Trendak Camp, Malacca, presents Col. Jonathan W.H. Wung, the commander of U.S. Army Pacific Support Unit, out of Ft. Shafter, HI, with a ceremonial armband during the opening ceremonies for the Keris Strike 12 exercise at Camp Ulu Tiram, near Bahru, Malaysia, Sept. 18. Photo by Spc. Lisa Laughlin, 122nd Public Affairs Operations Center, Washington Army National Guard.

U.S. and Malaysian service members observe a moment of prayer during the opening ceremonies for the Keris Strike 12 exercise at Camp Ulu Tiram, near Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Sept. 18. Photo by Spc. Lisa Laughlin, 122nd Public Affairs Operations Center, Washington Army National Guard.